Untangling Hoddle Street traffic

Hoddle Street is one of Melbourne’s busiest roads and a critical link for north-south traffic.

To improve traffic flow, VicRoads decided to introduce P-Turns and Continuous Flow Intersections (CFIs) to give more ‘green time’ to people travelling along Hoddle Street and Punt Road by changing the way right turns are made.

What did we do?

As these innovations are new (or rare) to Australian roads, VicRoads sought advice from BehaviourWorks on how to encourage all road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, to use these innovations correctly and safely.

As there weren’t enough articles for a literature review, we conducted a practice review on the subject, drawing on the experiences of (mainly US) practitioners.

The results suggested that correct intersection design, clear signage and a multi-channel approach to educating the public is key to making these changes.Drivers need to know that they will need to make turns earlier, as well as clear markings for pedestrian and cyclists at conflict points.

Insights

The results suggested that correct intersection design, clear signage and a multi-channel approach to educating the public is key to making these changes.

Drivers need to know that they will need to make turns earlier, as well as clear markings for pedestrian and cyclists at conflict points.

Communications need to emphasise the benefits of these designs (in cost, time and safety), how to use them correctly and be available across many different channels.

Overseas experiences suggest most users seem to quickly adjust and adapt to the new designs, with minimal confusion reported.